Will Red Sox target first baseman at trade deadline? Bloom weighs in originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
If the last 11 games are any indication, Chaim Bloom has some work to do between now and Aug. 2.
Bloom's Boston Red Sox are just 3-8 in that span and take a four-game losing streak into Saturday night's matchup with the New York Yankees at Fenway Park.
Get Boston local news, weather forecasts, lifestyle and entertainment stories to your inbox. Sign up for NBC Boston’s newsletters.
While bullpen help seems like the Red Sox' most pressing need ahead of the MLB trade deadline, Boston also could use reinforcements at first base, where they've relied on two players -- Bobby Dalbec (third base) and Franchy Cordero (outfield) -- who traditionally play different positions.
Tomase: Red Sox are paying the price for imperfectly-built roster
During a recent Q&A with MassLive's Chris Cotillo, Bloom said his club "potentially" will look to add a first baseman via trade.
Local
In-depth news coverage of the Greater Boston Area.
"I think (Cordero) has done a solid job and I think what he has done under the surface is even better than what you see on the back of the baseball card," the Red Sox' chief baseball officer told Cotillo. "We know Bobby can hit lefties. He’s handling a tougher role right now really well.
"We’ve been hopeful this whole year that as Triston (Casas) gets going, he still might figure into this thing… recognizing that he needs to make up for lost time. Certainly, it’s a spot where we can be open to additions from the outside."
Casas looks like Boston's first baseman of the future as the franchise's No. 2 prospect behind Marcelo Mayer. But the 22-year-old hasn't played since May 17 while rehabbing an ankle injury, leaving the Red Sox with a first base group that's hitting a combined .220 with five home runs and 92 strikeouts in 84 games.
Ranking the top 10 potential Red Sox trade targets at deadline
Bloom's track record suggests he likely won't sell the farm for a big-ticket first baseman like Washington's Josh Bell. If the Red Sox want to compete with the loaded Yankees in October, however, they'll need to seriously consider adding an impact bat at first base, much like in 2021 when they acquired Kyle Schwarber at the deadline.
At the very least, Bloom said Boston isn't ruling anything out.
"When it comes to this position player group, especially with the versatility we have in a lot of spots, we’re going to explore a lot of options in a lot of different places," Bloom said.
